My question is on the river, although you can comment on earlier streets. No reads as this is early in the tourney. Preflop is a limp to try to catch a set, especially since tptk gets overplayed at micro stakes. Flop I feel like I'm ahead enough of the time to warrant the call. I bet the turn putting villain on big cards but not a J. Before the river donk bet the villain takes enough time to where his time bank started going. This could be him not paying attention to the table, thinking about how much to bet, or deliberately tanking to make me think he hit the river card (I doubt I would get leveled like this at these stakes though)

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.25+$0.00 Tournament, 20/40 Blinds (7 handed) - Poker-Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

UTG (t2635)
MP1 (t1150)
MP2 (t2125)
CO (t2055)
Hero (Button) (t2210)
SB (t4370)
BB (t2260)

Hero's M: 36.83

Preflop: Hero is Button with 5 , 5
1 fold, MP1 calls t40, 3 folds, Hero calls t40, SB calls t20, BB checks

Flop: (t160) 3 , J , J (4 players)
SB checks, BB bets t80, 1 fold, Hero calls t80, 1 fold

Turn: (t320) 3 (2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets t240, BB calls t240

River: (t800) Q (2 players)
BB bets t520, Hero ?????????

Total pot: t800

Fold. You're behind far too much. I'd check the turn too. If I'm betting this hand with overcards on the board, it's on the river for value. Otherwise, I'm playing it for set only.

I CONCUR.

Why would you assume you're ahead on the flop against 3 villains? You could easily be behind a limped 66-TT.

The only hands you beat on the river are 22, 44, and a total bluff. Do you honestly see BB playing those hands the way he did? I think your assumption that he's on overcards on the flop is very questionable given that he did lead out into 3 opponents. And if he is holding something like AQ or KQ (highly doubtful), he's just hit the Q on the river.

My guess is he's on something like 88/99 and he's confident he's ahead of you.

If you're set-mining here with the fives and don't hit your set, then you should shut it down. Especially after getting called on the turn, the river is a simple decision. What hands do we beat here?

I don't think a call here is too bad, however I think a slowplayed jack and a binked queen are a decent part of his range. I mean this is a 25c tourney so he could have some stupid busted flush draw he's betting here not caring about the double paired board, either that or complete air. I highly doubt 88/99 show up.

Check the turn to make the river easier.

Just because it's a .25 tourney doesn't mean everyone plays terribly. I think 88/99 is more likely than a busted flush draw.

Suddenly deciding you're ahead with those mid pocket pairs after

1) a genuinely bad card comes off ;
2) playing it so passively/timid on the previous streets

is just as bizarre as taking a stab with a busted flush draw, if not more so , since you can win with 66-TT by check/calling here.

I think a slow played Jack is most likely, still..

Whatever he shows up with, it's fairly odd.

Fold. I'd guess villain has some random J, Q, or 3. If it's a bluff, oh well. (I also think you should have checked the turn btw, or at least bet less.)

ETA: My initial thought was something like 88, but upon further consideration I think most microstakes players would have raised from the BB preflop with that hand.

No way, most micro stakes players are more passive than aggressive.

There are definitely some of those, but there are also those who think A7o is the nuts.

I haven't played a lot of 25 cent tourneys, admittedly, but I did play a bunch of $1.20 STTs back in the day.

Those are the minority, and they usually get weeded out in the early stages. I play $2.25 STTs on Tilt and on the whole I'd say that many more players fit the 30/5 VPIP/PFR profile than the 20/15 profile. My last 3 bustouts have been at the hands of people who have limped big pairs in the middle stages.